What is the Difference between the Seasonal Flu and H1N1?

The Messenger received the question above as a result of last week’s article on “Knowing the Difference between and Cold and the Flu”. The short answer is that it may take testing to determine if you have seasonal flu or H1N1.

Although there are many similarities between the H1N1 virus and the seasonal flu, they are two different strains of influenza. The H1N1 virus was first detected in people in the United States in April 2009. This virus is sometimes called Swine Flu because testing showed that many parts of this virus were similar to the flu viruses usually found in pigs^[1]. In the spring of 2009, the virus began infecting humans and was called a novel virus, meaning that it is an infectious agent that humans have not ever been infected with before^[2], unlike the seasonal flu, which most people have been exposed to at some point in their life.

Seasonal flu occurs annually and characteristics of strains can vary from year to year, which is why there is a different flu vaccine developed each year to combat seasonal flu. On average, seasonal flu infects between 5 and 20 percent of the population each year, causing approximately 36,000 deaths annually.^[3] An August 7 report by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology anticipates the infection rate among the population for H1N1 could be higher than that of seasonal flu, possibly infecting between 30-50 percent of the U.S. population and causing between 30,000 and 90,000 deaths. Unlike seasonal flu, which is responsible for deaths primarily in groups aged 65+, the report anticipates deaths from H1N1 will occur mainly in children and young adults. ^[4]

Similarities

• Symptoms: Symptoms of H1N1 and seasonal flu are very similar, and include fever, body aches, headache, sore throat, cough, runny/stuffy nose, chills, fatigue, and possibly diarrhea and/or vomiting.
• How it’s spread: The spread of the H1N1 virus is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person-to-person through coughing or sneezing by people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

Differences

• Who is impacted: While everyone is at risk for contracting H1N1, so far the number of cases and deaths reported from H1N1 are less among the people over the age of 64 than that of the seasonal flu. In addition, the CDC reports that “novel H1N1 flu has caused greater disease burden in people younger than 25 years of age than older people.” (cite: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm)
• Vaccinations: The seasonal flu has a vaccine developed annually in order to help people protect themselves. Find out more information about how to protect yourself against seasonal flu by visiting info.findaflushot.com and read our H1N1 blog for the latest information on H1N1 and vaccine development.

How can I tell if I have H1N1 instead of seasonal flu?

Because symptoms of seasonal flu are very similar to H1N1, you will not be able to distinguish between H1N1 and seasonal flu on your own. If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, you should contact your health care provider who will be able to evaluate your symptoms and possibly test for H1N1.

[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, August 2009.
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm

[2] Associated Content, August 2009. Tami Port. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2029750/difference_between_the_new_h1n1_and.html?cat=5

[3] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, August 2009.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/index.htm

[4] President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, August 7, 2009.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/PCAST_H1N1_Report.pdf

Cold vs H1N1 Flu Symptoms

Know the Difference between Cold and H1N1 Flu Symptoms

Symptom	Cold	H1N1 Flu
Fever	Fever is rare with a cold.	Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for to 4 days is associated with the flu.
Coughing	A hacking, productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold.	A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough).
Aches	Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold.	Severe aches and pains are common with the flu.
Stuffy Nose	Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week.	Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the flu.
Chills	Chills are uncommon with a cold.	60% of people who have the flu experience chills.
Tiredness	Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold.	Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu.
Sneezing	Sneezing is commonly present with a cold.	Sneezing is not common with the flu.
Sudden Symptoms	Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days.	The flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains.
Headache	A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold.	A headache is very common with the flu, present in 80% of flu cases.
Sore Throat	Sore throat is commonly present with a cold.	Sore throat is not commonly present with the flu.
Chest Discomfort	Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.	Chest discomfort is often severe with the flu.

What a Difference 100 Years Make

The year is 1909 – one hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes! Here are some statistics for the Year 1909:

• The average life expectancy was 47 years.
• Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub and only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
• There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads and the maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
• The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.
• The average wage in 1909 was 22 cents per hour. The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year
• A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year; a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
• More than 95 percent of all births took place at home.
• Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION. Instead, they attended so-called 'medical schools', many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard.'
• Sugar cost four cents a pound, eggs were fourteen cents a dozen, and coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
• Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
• Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.
• The five leading causes of death were: pneumonia / influenza; tuberculosis; diarrhea; heart disease; and stroke
• The American flag had 45 stars.
• The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30
• Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.
• There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
• Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write. Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
• Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. (Back then pharmacists said, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health"
• Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.
• There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. mainly because there was a firearm of some sort in almost every home – an armed society is a POLITE society.

Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.

21 ways to go green on a budget

Going green. Does the phrase make you want to hold your wallet a bit tighter? Look around and it would seem you’d need to spend more cash to be in tune with Mother Earth.

Drinking organic milk could cost you twice as much as regular milk. Dressing in earth-friendly clothes, which includes materials such as bamboo, hemp, and organic cotton, costs more than a standard set of threads. And the hybrid car? That could cost you thousands more than its traditional counterpart.

Are there ways to help the planet without parting with all the green in your wallet? Yes. Here are 21 ways.

Save money while being eco-friendly

There are probably as many ways to go green as there are flavors of ice cream. So how do you decide which ones to pursue first? Start with simple fixes that have a quick payback:

1. Switch out your lightbulbs. By replacing your regular lightbulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs),* you can cut your electric bill. These bulbs use less energy and last longer than regular bulbs.
2. Use a programmable thermostat. Using one of these so you’re not heating and cooling a house when no one’s in it could save you about $100 a year on your energy bills. If one in ten households did this, more than 17 billion pounds of greenhouse gases could be prevented from being emitted into the atmosphere, according to Energy Star Action Guide.
3. Kill vampires. The typical household has 20 appliances that use electricity even when they’re turned off, according to a Cornell University study, costing $200 a year. (The displays on these TVs, DVD players, stereos, and electric toothbrush docks continue to glow even when “off.”)  To kill these vampires, you can plug these into fuse-protected power strips (also called surge protectors) that allow you to cut the juice with the flip of a switch.
4. Replace the shower head. By replacing your current shower head with a low-flow one, you could save 20,000 gallons of water per year, assuming two six-minute showers a day.
5. Pay bills online. This will save you the price of stamps and trips to the post office (which will save you gas), and eliminate paper waste.
6. Keep your tires pumped. When you drive with tires that are properly inflated, you could improve your gas mileage by more than 3%, according to Kiplinger.com.
7. Shop at the local farmers market. Do this and you’ll not only get fresher produce, but you’ll be buying food that didn’t require a lot of gas to transport from across the country or from another continent. To find a farmers market near you, use your zip code to search Localharvest.org.*

Drive less

Let’s face it: If it were easy to do, we’d all be driving less and pocketing the savings. Easier said than done. But if you’re determined to save on fuel, here are four ways to go. Do it right, and you may even trim your waistline.

1. Walk to the train or bus.
2. Ride your bike instead of driving to run local errands.
3. Carpool. You may be able to find a carpool in your area through Carpoolconnect.com* or Erideshare.com.*
4. Consider a car-sharing program. Companies in some cities have cars that you rent by the hour, so you have a car only when you need one. You pay either an hourly rate or a flat rate for the day. The cost includes insurance, gas, and miles. Two examples are Zipcar.com* and Ucarshare.com.*

Go easy on the landfills

By buying less new, and reusing or recycling what you already have, you can help reduce the amount of waste going into our landfills.

1. Shop consignment stores. You don’t need to look like you walked out of a 1970s fashion magazine to save money on used clothing. There are plenty of consignment shops and online auctions that sell today’s fashions at a fraction of what they’d cost new. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, secondhand clothing stores prevent more than one billion pounds of textile from ending up as waste in landfills.
2. Recycle your electronics.  When you donate your used electronics,* you keep them out of the landfills and allow families and schools to obtain computers and other electronics they otherwise couldn’t afford. To find out how to recycle other things, go to Earth911.com.*

Gadget corner

Hooked on gadgets and gear? Here are five that can help you on your quest to protect the environment:

1. Use a travel mug for coffee or tea, instead of paper cups.

1. Use a long-lasting water bottle, instead of disposable ones.

1. Buy reusable shopping bags.

1. Use a rain barrel* to catch water you can use in your garden in drier weather.

1. Invest in a compost bin* to slow the growth of landfills. You can also build your own, whether it be a small one* or a larger one* made out of a 32-gallon garbage can.

Other things you can do

1. Plant a Victory Garden. Grow your own fruits and vegetables* in your backyard. You’ll not only eat more healthily and save money on your grocery bill, you’ll help fight global warming by eating food that requires no transporation to your home.

1. Be skeptical of buying stuff with vague green claims like “All natural.” Mercury and lead are naturally occurring elements, but you still don’t want them in your food or shampoo.

1. Try a volunteer vacation. You can visit some truly outstanding destinations for less money and help the environment at the same time with organizations such as Wilderness Volunteers* or American Hiking Society.*

Getting a low-carbon footprint

By following one or more of these 21 suggestions, you’ll do your part in helping to prevent a rise in the Earth’s temperature.

For more ways you can reduce your carbon footprint, check out Carbonfund.com.*

*When you access any of the sites mentioned in this article, you will be leaving our site. Vanguard is not responsible for the accuracy of information on third-party sites. Vanguard receives no remuneration for website links in this article. This article is for educational purposes only.

What would you like to ask us about the markets and about saving and investing in your retirement plan? Click "Tell us what you think," below.

This article copied from Vanguard

21 ways to go green on a budget

Going green. Does the phrase make you want to hold your wallet a bit tighter? Look around and it would seem you’d need to spend more cash to be in tune with Mother Earth.

Drinking organic milk could cost you twice as much as regular milk. Dressing in earth-friendly clothes, which includes materials such as bamboo, hemp, and organic cotton, costs more than a standard set of threads. And the hybrid car? That could cost you thousands more than its traditional counterpart.

Are there ways to help the planet without parting with all the green in your wallet? Yes. Here are 21 ways.

Save money while being eco-friendly

There are probably as many ways to go green as there are flavors of ice cream. So how do you decide which ones to pursue first? Start with simple fixes that have a quick payback:

1. Switch out your lightbulbs. By replacing your regular lightbulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs),* you can cut your electric bill. These bulbs use less energy and last longer than regular bulbs.
2. Use a programmable thermostat. Using one of these so you’re not heating and cooling a house when no one’s in it could save you about $100 a year on your energy bills. If one in ten households did this, more than 17 billion pounds of greenhouse gases could be prevented from being emitted into the atmosphere, according to Energy Star Action Guide.
3. Kill vampires. The typical household has 20 appliances that use electricity even when they’re turned off, according to a Cornell University study, costing $200 a year. (The displays on these TVs, DVD players, stereos, and electric toothbrush docks continue to glow even when “off.”)  To kill these vampires, you can plug these into fuse-protected power strips (also called surge protectors) that allow you to cut the juice with the flip of a switch.
4. Replace the shower head. By replacing your current shower head with a low-flow one, you could save 20,000 gallons of water per year, assuming two six-minute showers a day.
5. Pay bills online. This will save you the price of stamps and trips to the post office (which will save you gas), and eliminate paper waste.
6. Keep your tires pumped. When you drive with tires that are properly inflated, you could improve your gas mileage by more than 3%, according to Kiplinger.com.
7. Shop at the local farmers market. Do this and you’ll not only get fresher produce, but you’ll be buying food that didn’t require a lot of gas to transport from across the country or from another continent. To find a farmers market near you, use your zip code to search Localharvest.org.*

Drive less

Let’s face it: If it were easy to do, we’d all be driving less and pocketing the savings. Easier said than done. But if you’re determined to save on fuel, here are four ways to go. Do it right, and you may even trim your waistline.

1. Walk to the train or bus.
2. Ride your bike instead of driving to run local errands.
3. Carpool. You may be able to find a carpool in your area through Carpoolconnect.com* or Erideshare.com.*
4. Consider a car-sharing program. Companies in some cities have cars that you rent by the hour, so you have a car only when you need one. You pay either an hourly rate or a flat rate for the day. The cost includes insurance, gas, and miles. Two examples are Zipcar.com* and Ucarshare.com.*

Go easy on the landfills

By buying less new, and reusing or recycling what you already have, you can help reduce the amount of waste going into our landfills.

1. Shop consignment stores. You don’t need to look like you walked out of a 1970s fashion magazine to save money on used clothing. There are plenty of consignment shops and online auctions that sell today’s fashions at a fraction of what they’d cost new. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, secondhand clothing stores prevent more than one billion pounds of textile from ending up as waste in landfills.
2. Recycle your electronics.  When you donate your used electronics,* you keep them out of the landfills and allow families and schools to obtain computers and other electronics they otherwise couldn’t afford. To find out how to recycle other things, go to Earth911.com.*

Gadget corner

Hooked on gadgets and gear? Here are five that can help you on your quest to protect the environment:

1. Use a travel mug for coffee or tea, instead of paper cups.

1. Use a long-lasting water bottle, instead of disposable ones.

1. Buy reusable shopping bags.

1. Use a rain barrel* to catch water you can use in your garden in drier weather.

1. Invest in a compost bin* to slow the growth of landfills. You can also build your own, whether it be a small one* or a larger one* made out of a 32-gallon garbage can.

Other things you can do

1. Plant a Victory Garden. Grow your own fruits and vegetables* in your backyard. You’ll not only eat more healthily and save money on your grocery bill, you’ll help fight global warming by eating food that requires no transporation to your home.

1. Be skeptical of buying stuff with vague green claims like “All natural.” Mercury and lead are naturally occurring elements, but you still don’t want them in your food or shampoo.

1. Try a volunteer vacation. You can visit some truly outstanding destinations for less money and help the environment at the same time with organizations such as Wilderness Volunteers* or American Hiking Society.*

Getting a low-carbon footprint

By following one or more of these 21 suggestions, you’ll do your part in helping to prevent a rise in the Earth’s temperature.

For more ways you can reduce your carbon footprint, check out Carbonfund.com.*

*When you access any of the sites mentioned in this article, you will be leaving our site. Vanguard is not responsible for the accuracy of information on third-party sites. Vanguard receives no remuneration for website links in this article. This article is for educational purposes only.

What would you like to ask us about the markets and about saving and investing in your retirement plan? Click "Tell us what you think," below.

This article copied from Vanguard

Gum Chewing can be very good for your teeth

Gum Chewing: Helpful or harmful?

When it comes to chewing gum, it's the type of gum you chew that makes a difference in whether it's helpful or harmful to your teeth. While chewing gum containing sugar may actually increase your chances of developing a cavity, there is clinical evidence that demonstrates just the opposite for sugar-free gum. And there's even better news when it comes to chewing sugar-free gum that is sweetened with xylitol.

Sugar-free gum helps to clean teeth

Studies have shown that chewing sugar-free gum after meals and snacks can help rinse off and neutralize the acids released by the bacteria in plaque, which are harmful to tooth enamel. Both the act of chewing and the flavor of the artificial sweeteners in the gum stimulate ten times the normal rate of saliva flow. Not only does the increased saliva flow neutralize the acids in your mouth, it also washes away food particles, helping to keep your teeth clean.

Xylitol reduces decay-causing bacteria

Sugar-free gum sweetened with xylitol has the added benefit of inhibiting the growth of Streptococcus mutans, one of the oral bacteria that cause cavities. In the presence of xylitol, the bacteria lose the ability to adhere to the tooth, stunting the cavity-causing process. With xylitol use over a period of time, the types of bacteria in the mouth change and fewer decay-causing bacteria survive on tooth surfaces.

To chew or not to chew

Although chewing sugar-free gum can be beneficial in most instances, there are some cases in which chewing gum is not recommended. For example, if you are experiencing any type of jaw pain or temporomandibular disorder symptoms (TMD/TMJ), you should refrain from chewing gum and talk to your dentist about what options are available to you.

For most people, chewing sugar-free gum (especially gum sweetened with xylitol) can be a good preventive measure in situations when toothbrushing and flossing aren't practical, but sugar-free or not, chewing gum should never replace good dental hygiene practices.

Information courtesy of the Academy of General Dentistry.

What's your risk for cavities? Take our new quiz to find out.

Are You Drinking the Amount of Water you Should?

DRINKING WATER?

The following will probably amaze and startle you.

One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University study.

Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen.

Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?

Peroxide is a great cleaner, disinfectant, and much more

Before doing anything on this list I highly recommend you read the following spones warning on this very 2006 internet article. Please think about this: 1. Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and hold in your mouth for 1 minute or so, then spit it out. No more canker sores, and your teeth will be whiter without those expensive toothpastes. Use it instead of mouthwash. 2. Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of peroxide to keep them free of germs.

3. Clean your counters and table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dish cloth, when you wipe, or spray it on the counter tops.

4. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.

5. To get rid of foot fungus, sprayed a 50/50 mixture of Peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry.

6. Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for five to ten minutes several times a day.

7. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of Peroxide and water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system like bleach or most other disinfectants will do.

8. Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture whenever you have a cold or a plugged sinus. It will bubble and help to kill the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes, and then blow your nose into a tissue.

9. If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for ten minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly.

10. Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help rid boils, fungus, or other skin infections.

11. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour it directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat, if necessary.

12. I use peroxide to clean my mirrors. There is no smearing.

It is a little brown bottle that no home should be without! With prices of most necessities rising, I'm glad there's a way to save tons of money in such a simple, healthy manner!